Xander Schauffele shares Rory McIlroy target after Tiger Woods backing

Xander Schauffele has set his eyes on one of golf's most esteemed achievements - the career grand slam, McIlroy

A golfer attains a career grand slam by triumphing in all four major championships over the course of their career. This year, needing to win both the U. S. Open and the Masters to complete the grand slam notched his first two major victories by clinching the PGA Championship and The Open Championship titles, placing him halfway to his ultimate goal and just one behind Schauffele .

McIlroy, hailing from Northern Ireland, is eager to conquer his final challenge - the Masters Tournament. Schauffele, needing to win both the U. S. Open and the Masters to complete the grand slam , has openly expressed his longtime desire for this achievement.

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Speaking to MailSport, the 30 year old shared, "The career slam has always been written down as something I've wanted. Getting to two after not having one for such a long time is something that feels really good. Expectations can be a mean thing and I think all people in sport have a certain amount of cortisol in the body. You stress, you get anxious, have hard times. I have.

"So to get to two is great, and it makes me remember writing this stuff down with my dad at 13 or 14 - number one player in the world, majors, all these things."

Schauffele almost bagged another Olympic gold to go with his Tokyo 2020 win, finishing round three of the Paris tournament tied for the lead with Spain's Jon Rahm. But a dip in form on the final day saw Schauffele slide to ninth place, 12-under-par and seven shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy fared better at the Olympics, tying for fifth with a score of 15-under-par, just four shots from the top. Neither golfer may have snagged a medal in Paris, but they're both eyeing the pinnacle of golfing glory.

Golf legend Tiger Woods is convinced McIlroy's time will come. Ahead of the Masters Tournament in April, five-time champion Woods lauded McIlroy's skills to Golf Digest: "No question, he'll do it at some point. Rory's too talented, too good. He's going to be playing this event for a very long time. He'll get it done. It's just a matter of when," he said.

"I think Rory will be a great Masters champion one day, and it could be this week. You never know. I just think that the talent he has, the way he plays the game and how the golf course fits his eye, it's just a matter of time."